1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a continuous-medium-box feeding device and, more particularly, to a continuous-medium-box feeding device adopted in a printing device printing on a continuous medium in which the continuous-medium-box feeding device feeds a continuous-medium box to a hopper unit feeding the continuous medium to a printing unit.
Some of printing devices, such as an electrophotographic printer, perform a printing on a continuous paper, which is an example of a continuous medium. The continuous paper here means a continuous paper having crosswise perforations. The continuous paper is folded up by being turned alternately at the crosswise perforations, and is contained in a box.
Regarding such printing devices as an electrophotographic printer printing on this continuous paper, there is a need for increasing a printing throughput. Increasing the printing throughput necessitates the increase in a printing speed and the shortening of a time during which the printing device halts a printing operation from the completion of a printing on one continuous paper until the start of a printing on the next continuous paper.
Recently, the printing speed is improved to such a high speed that completes printing on two thousand forms in approximately 5 minutes. Thereupon, in order to shorten the time during which the printing device halts the printing operation for feeding the next continuous paper, there is a need for shortening a time required to feed the continuous paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional electrophotographic printer printing on a continuous paper, a hopper unit is a simple space. The undersurface of the hopper unit is a part of the surface of a floor on which the electrophotographic printer is installed.
Conventionally, a continuous paper is fed according to the hereinbelow-described procedure, after the printing on the present continuous paper is finished.
(1) An operator draws the emptied box out of the hopper unit, making the hopper unit vacant. (2) The operator retrieves the printed continuous paper from a stacker unit, and puts the printed continuous paper into the empty box. (3) The operator shifts a continuous-paper box containing the next continuous paper past the entrance of the hoper unit into the hopper unit by pushing and sliding the continuous-paper box on the floor. (4) The operator draws the next continuous paper from the continuous-paper box, and sets the next continuous paper to a form-autoloading unit of the electrophotographic printer. The operator of the electrophotographic printer needs to perform this procedure frequently.
The entrance of the hopper unit needs to be kept unoccupied for the purpose of drawing the emptied box out of the hopper unit. Therefore, the continuous-paper box containing the continuous paper to be printed on next is placed at a position away from the entrance of the hopper unit. This lengthens the distance to cover in shifting the heavy continuous-paper box, and therefore, makes the task of shifting and pushing the continuous-paper box into the hopper unit burdensome and time-consuming.
Besides, in order to alleviate the burden posed on the operator of the electrophotographic printer, there is a conventional structure in which the hopper unit is provided with a drawable table. This table is used for supporting the continuous-paper box and shifting the continuous-paper box.
The continuous-paper box is fed into the hopper unit according to the hereinbelow-described procedure, after the printing on the present continuous paper is finished.
(1) An operator draws the emptied box out of the hopper unit by pulling out the table. (2) The operator unloads the emptied box from the table. (3) The operator places a continuous-paper box containing the next continuous paper on the table. (4) The operator pushes the table into the hopper unit. Thereby, the continuous-paper box is fed in the hopper unit.
The task (3) of placing the continuous-paper box containing the next continuous paper on the table needs to be performed after the tasks (1) and (2) of pulling out the table and unloading the emptied box from the table. Therefore, it has been difficult to shorten the time from the completion of a printing on one continuous paper until the start of a printing on the next continuous paper.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful continuous-medium-box feeding device in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a continuous-medium-box feeding device which can feed the next continuous-medium box into a hopper unit of a printing device in a short time after finishing a printing on the present continuous paper.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, there is provided according to one aspect of the present invention a continuous-medium-box feeding device feeding a continuous-medium box to a printing device printing on a continuous medium fed from the continuous-medium box containing the continuous medium, the continuous-medium-box feeding device comprising:
a set table capable of sliding between a first position and a second position adjacent to the first position, the first position enabling the continuous medium to be fed from the continuous-medium box to the printing device, and the second position enabling the continuous-medium box to be removed manually; and
a stand-by table capable of sliding between the first position and a third position adjacent to the second position, the second position and the third position enabling a continuous-medium box containing a continuous medium to be printed on next to be placed manually,
wherein the stand-by table can feed the continuous-medium box on the set table positioned at the first position.
According to the present invention, the continuous-medium box containing the continuous medium to be printed on next can be placed on the stand-by table positioned at the second or third position during a printing operation to a prior continuous medium so that the continuous-medium box is ready for the feeding of the continuous medium. In addition, when the printing operation to the prior continuous medium is finished, simply shifting the set table and the stand-by table enables both the removal of the emptied continuous-medium box and the subsequent feeding of the next continuous-medium box to the first position to be performed in a short time. Therefore, providing the continuous-medium printing device with the continuous-medium-box feeding device according to the present invention can shorten a time during which the printing device halts due to the consumption of the continuous medium to the end; this increases a printing throughput.
Additionally, the continuous-medium-box feeding device according to the present invention may further comprise a continuous-medium-box holder holding the continuous-medium box on the set table, the continuous-medium box being shifted from the stand-by table onto the set table by sliding the stand-by table from the third position to the first position.
According to the present invention, upon sliding the stand-by table from the first position to the third position in the course of shifting the continuous-medium box from the stand-by table onto the set table, the continuous-medium box can be held on the first position on the set table where the continuous medium can be fed from the continuous-medium box for printing.
Additionally, the continuous-medium-box feeding device according to the present invention may further comprise a box remover pushing out the continuous-medium box off the set table positioned at the second position.
According to the present invention, an operator does not have to perform the task of removing the continuous-medium box off the set table positioned at the second position; this alleviates the burden posed on the operator of the printing device.
Additionally, the continuous-medium-box feeding device according to the present invention may further comprise:
a set-table sliding unit sliding the set table between the first position and the second position;
a stand-by-table sliding unit sliding the stand-by table between the third position and the first position; and
a control circuit controlling operations of the set-table sliding unit and the stand-by-table sliding unit to firstly shift the set table from the first position to the second position, subsequently shift the set table from the second position to the first position, and finally shift the stand-by table from the third position to the first position so that the continuous-medium box containing the continuous medium to be printed on next is fed onto the set table positioned at the first position in place of the continuous-medium box having fed the continuous medium to the printing device.
According to the present invention, the continuous-medium box can be automatically fed to the printing device in a short time; this further increases the printing throughput, and also alleviates the burden posed on the operator of the printing device.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, there is also provided according to another aspect of the present invention a continuous-medium printing device including the above-mentioned continuous-medium-box feeding device.
According to the present invention, the feeding of the continuous-medium box can be performed in a short time; therefore, the continuous-medium printing device can increase a printing throughput thereof.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.